Question for Bio Pellet users

[ctrayer]

I started BRS bio pellets 3 months ago. I was having
trouble with some cyno and my nitrates. I started by adding Zeo Bak for two weeks prior to starting pellets so the bacteria had a chance to spread. I feel
if you have cyno and jump right in with bio pellets you are feeding the cyno.
About 1 month in the cyno was gone sand bed is nice and clean.
2 months in and nitrates stablized
3 months in and I am starting to see nitrates dropping.
You need to keep the pellets tumbling at a good rate and have
the return from your reator feed right into your skimmer.
I add zeobak twice a week at 1 drop per 25 gal.

 

[piranhapat]

I started Bio Pellets from the very first day tank was set up. I had a white cloudy boom for a few days. After about 6 weeks started to see heavy film on glass. Nitrates was low after tank settle in after 3 months. Into 4 month notice cyano on sand bed. Than traveling to LR. Pellets had to added notice level going down. Listern to Randy on RC ADDED gfo. Help to controll it a little than pull plug and cyano was gone in a few weeks. Since my nitrates are low and still using GFO and Phoshates are under control. I feel feeding less and more water changes are a better way to maintain are water Par. I have all SPS tank. Pellets didn't work for me and would hope they work for you. Time will tell......keep us posted

 

[charliethetuna88]

I've been using gfo and pellets for over a year now with no ill effect i do have Alotta fish though

 

[Macropora]

I started BRS bio pellets 3 months ago. I was having
trouble with some cyno and my nitrates. I started by adding Zeo Bak for two weeks prior to starting pellets so the bacteria had a chance to spread. I feel
if you have cyno and jump right in with bio pellets you are feeding the cyno.
About 1 month in the cyno was gone sand bed is nice and clean.
2 months in and nitrates stablized
3 months in and I am starting to see nitrates dropping.
You need to keep the pellets tumbling at a good rate and have
the return from your reator feed right into your skimmer.
I add zeobak twice a week at 1 drop per 25 gal.

Thanks for the info. It seems from everything I've read so far is results start to appear in about 3 months from startup.

 

[Macropora]

I started Bio Pellets from the very first day tank was set up. I had a white cloudy boom for a few days. After about 6 weeks started to see heavy film on glass. Nitrates was low after tank settle in after 3 months. Into 4 month notice cyano on sand bed. Than traveling to LR. Pellets had to added notice level going down. Listern to Randy on RC ADDED gfo. Help to controll it a little than pull plug and cyano was gone in a few weeks. Since my nitrates are low and still using GFO and Phoshates are under control. I feel feeding less and more water changes are a better way to maintain are water Par. I have all SPS tank. Pellets didn't work for me and would hope they work for you. Time will tell......keep us posted

I'll see how it goes once I start. Thank you.

 

[Macropora]

I've been using gfo and pellets for over a year now with no ill effect i do have Alotta fish though

Hoping to get the same no ill effect, lol... Thank you.

 

[Macropora]

Using TLF NPX Bio-Pellets as of yesterday at 400 ml. See how this stuff works.

 

[FishBrain]

Hate to tell you that you will still need to use GFO while using bio pellets. Pellets will help control your nitrates but will not take care of all your phoshate. I would start with half of what they say. Some tanks do good with it and some do not. To me bio pellets are not the answer yet. I had it in my tank for 5 months and started to get cyano. Notice I had to clean the glass every day. Tank ran alot better with out it.....

What brand pellets were you using?

I would have to disagree about pellets and phosphates. When I started running my NPX pellets, at week two, my phosphates were at .23, and a week later they dropped to .06. Tested using a Hanna meter and did no water changes.

 

[Macropora]

Update... Stopped using the NPX bio-pellets and converted the reactor into a carbon reactor. Started working after about 2 weeks and I noticed the ph drop. Did a waterchange and turned off the biopellet reactor for 45 minutes and the ph dropped even more by .3 right away and my Duncan colony was closed up for several weeks. I did notice a film growing over the glass.

It seems to work well when the pellets are constantly tumbling and your electricity stays on. What if you get a power outage that is out of your control and you have a huge bioload, what do you do then? It seems the bio pellets go anaerobic when the tumbling stops.

Learned my lesson. Trying to save a few bucks actually cost more with what I have already invested into my 450 gallon system. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

 

[techbiker]

Update... Stopped using the NPX bio-pellets and converted the reactor into a carbon reactor. Started working after about 2 weeks and I noticed the ph drop. Did a waterchange and turned off the biopellet reactor for 45 minutes and the ph dropped even more by .3 right away and my Duncan colony was closed up for several weeks. I did notice a film growing over the glass.

It seems to work well when the pellets are constantly tumbling and your electricity stays on. What if you get a power outage that is out of your control and you have a huge bioload, what do you do then? It seems the bio pellets go anaerobic when the tumbling stops.

Learned my lesson. Trying to save a few bucks actually cost more with what I have already invested into my 450 gallon system. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Been using BRS bioppelets for 6 months I went trough algae, and my zoos did not want to open at some point but after the 4 month, all reading are almost 0 and my sps growing like crazy

 

[Macropora]

Can anyone shed light when there is a power outage for an indefinite amount of time for your bio-pellets. What do you do? Curious to here from other's who experienced it.

 

[Widdy]

I was told after a few hours of idling, dump out all the water in the reactor and rinse pellets in RO water and restart it.

 

[Macropora]

I was told after a few hours of idling, dump out all the water in the reactor and rinse pellets in RO water and restart it.

Thanks Widdy. Another question... Does the rinsing in RO water kill all of the beneficial bacteria?

 

[Widdy]

Thanks Widdy. Another question... Does the rinsing in RO water kill all of the beneficial bacteria?

I believe it would. However, I've never experienced an outage yet (knock on wood). Perhaps rinsing it in some tank water instead of RO in hopes of preserving the bacteria?

 

[Macropora]

I believe it would. However, I've never experienced an outage yet (knock on wood). Perhaps rinsing it in some tank water instead of RO in hopes of preserving the bacteria?

Great idea.